Use of corrugated rubber drain to protect important structures during orthopaedic surgeries

Abstract

Background: Important structures lying in the vicinity of surgical field are at risk of injury during surgical procedures. Such injuries are common during orthopaedic procedures and lead to major disability in patients. There can be multiple factors leading to intra-operative injuries to the structures. One factor leading to such injuries is application of various materials around these structures to protect them, which may cause undue traction over these structures. Methods: We conducted a study in 50 patients operated for different fractures and used corrugated rubber drain to protect vital structures (nerves and vessels) during various surgical procedures. Results: We observed that none of our patients suffered from intra-operative injury to the important structures. Conclusion: Our aim is to introduce the use of corrugated rubber drain to protect vital structures during various surgical procedures. Although, a thorough understanding of anatomy, meticulous dissection and appreciation of pathoanatomy in surgery is of utmost importance to reduce the risk of iatrogenic injuries.